Maria Leonor Machado de Sousa (1932 – †2021)

Maria Leonor Machado de Sousa, now retired, was a professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Nova University Lisbon. She was President of the Portuguese Association of Anglo-American Studies, Vice-President of the Byron Society in Portugal, the first Vice-Rector of the Portuguese Open University, Head of the National Library (1990-96). She participated in several international commissions on behalf of her Faculty, the Open University and the National Library.

Worked with the EU in training of Portuguese interpreters. She launched the English-Speaking Union in Portugal, becoming its first President.

Created and supervised until retirement the Department of Anglo-Portuguese Studies. She created the Research Centre of the same name and the Revista de Estudos Anglo-Portugueses, which has been publishing the results of their work for 23 years.

Has also studied the diffusion of Portuguese subjects and myths in Europe, chiefly those of Inês de Castro, Don Sebastian of Camões. Author of several works on these themes, namely Inês de Castro. Um tema português na Europa, and the coordination of Camões in England and Don Sebastian in English Literature.

Other areas of interest are Gothic literature in Portugal and Portuguese modernist poets, with several works published.

She is a member of the Portuguese Academy of History, working chiefly on aspects of the Anglo-Portuguese relations, namely travel-writing and the Peninsular War.